


Me, You, and this Town

by ObliqueOptimism



Series: Prepare for Boarding [3]
Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Powers, Can be read as a stand alone, Dave is an Accountant, Gen, M/M, Not Beta Read, Sober Klaus Hargreeves, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Unreliable Narrator
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-07
Updated: 2019-12-07
Packaged: 2021-02-18 12:15:34
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,215
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21710602
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ObliqueOptimism/pseuds/ObliqueOptimism
Summary: Klaus wasn't sure if he deserved Dave, but he wasn't going to let him go.
Relationships: Dave/Klaus Hargreeves
Series: Prepare for Boarding [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1563505
Comments: 34
Kudos: 291





	Me, You, and this Town

**Author's Note:**

> based very much on [this post](https://obliqueoptimism.tumblr.com/post/189517500922/browsedankmemes-i-hope-these-two-have-wonderful) from tumblr. wrote it all today. idk. i'm pretty happy with it, it's very cute. i guess i just like writing for series. god i need to write more deaf klaus and more mr vitali fics. sorry for the wait for those series my friends.

Klaus had Grandma’s blanket wrapped around his shoulders like a cape. There was a slight breeze coming through the window even though it was closed. Not the most perfect apartment, but it was nicer than the streets, Klaus knew that for sure. 

He glanced at Dave and grinned. 

Maybe it was the perfect apartment, it did have Dave in it, after all. 

Dave, who had shown him what it was like to actually be loved. Klaus sipped on his cocoa, overcome with emotion. He’d never met anyone like Dave before, he’d never been treated with the care and respect that Dave gave him. But he hadn’t deserved it before. Now he guessed he did. He was clean and sober, he was a better person, kinder. 

It was nice, knowing he was loved.

How he tricked Dave into loving him, Klaus wasn’t sure, but he was pleasantly pleased with the results.Sometimes, Klaus felt like he’d fucked up, taking all of Dave’s love. Dave should devote himself to someone more like him. Someone who is gentle, kind, beautiful. 

Dave never yelled at Klaus, never hit him, never forced him to do things he didn’t want. When they got into arguments, Dave would keep his voice from raising and he stood still. He didn’t even talk with his hands when they fought. 

Klaus had once asked why. It’s not a normal way to fight, and he’d seen Dave mad at others before and he’d yell or gesture at them, but not at Klaus. Why?

“I refuse to knowingly hurt you, baby,” Dave had replied, kissing each of Klaus’s eyelids.

“But yelling isn’t hurting?” Klaus _knew_ what hurting was. 

Dave’s grip had tightened to a comforting squeeze, “Yelling like that is for you. Just because it’s not a physical hurt doesn't mean it’s not hurting you.”

Klaus had hid his face in Dave’s neck.

He was always so floored at how perfect Dave was. 

Dave had asked him to move in on a slow, rainy Sunday morning. Klaus had woken up with his face smashed in Dave’s armpit, blanket up over his head. He felt safe, laying there in Dave’s arms.

It was a new and exciting feeling. 

He had turned his face to Dave’s side and snuggled closer. He hadn’t wanted to get up. He hadn’t wanted to go home later, back to the mansion. He’d rather stay in Dave’s apartment, where it was warm and comforting and he’d never been hurt there. Only good memories. No trauma.No tempting alcohol or hidden stashes, waiting for him to fall off the wagon.Just Dave.

Kind, loving, Dave.

Klaus was such a mess that he started crying, overcome with emotions (they were still so new).

There had been a kiss to the top of his head, “What’s wrong, baby?”

“Nothing,” Klaus said, crying harder.

Dave had hummed and started lazily drawing swirls on Klaus’s back, “You have a nightmare again?”

“No, I just--” Klaus had felt so stupid, “I don’t want to go home later. I want to stay here, with you.”

“You can do that,” Dave said, having paused the swirls for a moment before starting back up.

“Well, yeah.I know I don’t have to leave yet but--”

“You can move in. With me?” Dave had sounded hesitant.

Klaus had gasped and quickly lifted his head to see Dave giving him a hesitant smile, “What?”

“Want to move in with me, doll? I know it’s smaller than yours and there is a breeze that comes through the closed windows and the kitchen sink _still_ leaks and it’s not perfect, but I would love for you to call it home.”

Klaus had moved in that day, going to the mansion only to grab his shit and inform whoever had been there (Mom, Five, Luther) that he was moving in with Dave. 

Five had approved.

And this led to the first winter where Klaus truly felt safe and warm. He wasn’t living on the streets, he didn’t have to look for shelter, he didn’t have to deal with the mansion’s trouble heating properly. 

If someone had taken Klaus aside a year ago, and explained that he would be sober and living with an accountant he would have asked what drug you took, sounded like quite the trip, care to share?

Instead, he had Dave’s grandma’s blanket wrapped around him, cocoa in his hands, thinking about how lucky he was that he found Dave. He was enjoying the domestic life way more than he ever thought he would, or could. 

Dave was frowning and scrolling on his phone, “I know we got the email, but I can’t find it, doll.”

“Whatever for?” Klaus asked.

“Tomorrow. The art gallery Allison got us discounted tickets to? Thought I should bring up the email and double check everything was okay before we left the house tomorrow. Can’t have you freezing your nose off in the cold for nothing if we remember the date or time wrong,” Dave sighed deeply.

Klaus scrunched up said nose. It was cold out, and he’d rather not venture out if the tickets were on a different day. Putting his cup down, Klaus grabbed the phone and used the search function, typing in “confirmation”.

Dave made a pained noise, Klaus froze, seeing at the top an email about an order confirmation for an engagement ring. 

So many emotions started bubbling up in him. Excitement, anticipation, joy, _love_. He felt tears spring to his eyes. He always cried so easily. Swallowing, Klaus scrolled down and found the correct email. “Here,” opening it up, he handed the phone back, his voice wavering slightly.

Dave glanced at him and smiled gently. He was always so gentle with Klaus.

Klaus hadn’t been aware how much he’d enjoy being treated so softly. He had thought he liked being treated rough, making him _feel it_. But Dave had shown him that he hadn’t actually liked the pain. 

They sat in silence for a few minutes, Klaus managing too not actually cry with happiness.

Instead they glanced at each other and started giggling. 

Klaus was going to marry this man.

He couldn’t wait to say yes.

“Why are we laughing?” Dave asked.

Klaus leaned his head on Dave’s shoulder, “I don’t know.” He knew. Why did Dave even ask. They both knew what had happened. _(Dave wasn’t mad that Klaus ruined the surprise. He wasn’t going to yell at Klaus for fucking up. He loved Klaus.)_

“But,” Dave paused, “you _do_ know.” He turned and kissed the shell of Klaus’s ear.

He was always like that, giving soft kisses places Klaus had never been kissed before they were together.

“Is it-- Is it here?” Klaus whispered.

Dave nodded.

“Is it hidden?” 

Dave nodded.

Klaus glanced around the room, wondering where it was hidden. “Can we play the Hot and Cold Game?” Klaus had never played that before Dave. And Klaus loved it. It was a lot of fun. Since he first played it, it wasn’t uncommon for Dave to buy a little trinket or candybar for Klaus and hide it so they could play. 

Dave belted out a laugh, “Sure baby. We can do that.”

Klaus jumped up, excited. He clapped his hands together. He paced a bit in front of the tv. Giving a bright grin at Dave he said, “Okay, is it in this room?” Their living room and kitchen were in the same room, bathroom and bedroom both off to the side. Chances were it wasn’t in the bathroom.

“Of course,” Dave said, not getting up from the sofa.

“Okay, okay, okay.” Klaus looked around the room. Kitchen cabinets and drawers, under the sofa, in with the DVDs and Blu-Rays. There were a lot of possible places.

Klaus cooked half the time so it probably wasn’t hidden in the kitchen. He made coffee as well so it wouldn’t be in an empty, decoy coffee grounds container. No, no. Not over there with the food or the pots and pans.

The movies were just as unlikely. Couldn’t have Klaus stumbling over it as he went to find something to watch. Dave would try to hide it better.

“How close am I to it right now?” Klaus wiggled where he was standing.

“Lukewarm.”

Klaus stepped back once and raised an eyebrow.

Dave chuckled, “Colder.”

Back where he began, a step to the right.

“Nope, colder again.”

And a step to the left.

“You’d better wrap the blanket around you tighter, colder once more.”

Klaus giggled and went back to starting position. It was forwards then. Towards the coffee table, sofa, and Dave. 

“Warmer, baby,” Dave grinned.

Another step, warmer, closer now, warmer, put his hand on the coffee table, “Ooh, the coffee table is cold, doll. Better stop touching it, don’t want you to get frostbite.”

“Frostbite isn’t fun,” Klaus agreed, moving closer to the sofa. To Dave.

Warmer yet.

“Okay, get up David. I must tear the sofa apart.”

Dave laughed loudly but did as he was told, moving beside the sofa, sitting on the arm of it. 

Klaus took the pillows off, feeling for lumps near the zippers, eyeing Dave who just shook his head. Setting them side, he went and did the same with the cushions. Feeling the zipper area for a box. “Touching some ice, baby.”

Klaus nodded, “It is very cold.”

He then dug his hands inside the sofa. He found some loose change, one of his hair ties, scraps of paper. No ring. 

He shot a playful glare at Dave and then laid on the floor, and using the flashlight on the nearest phone to look under. As he sneezed and eyed all the dust bunnies, Dave put the cushions back on and then sat on the arm of the sofa again.

Klaus stood up, sneezing three times in quick succession before standing between Dave’s legs and frowning at him.

“Bless you,” Dave grinned. He reached out and cupped his hand around Klaus’s face, rubbing his thumb on Klaus’s cheek. “Baby, you’re burning up.”

“I feel fine, though? I was sneezing from the dust, not because I’m sick,” Klaus leaned further in Dave’s grasp. This game wasn’t fun anymore.

Dave laughed again, “No, doll. _You’re burning up._ ”

Klaus gasped, leaning back, “You! Do you have it on your person?” At Dave’s nod, Klaus hit Dave’s arm playfully. “David!”

“Yes, baby?” Dave whispered, small smile gracing his face.

Klaus snorted, shoving his hands in Dave’s pockets without asking and ignoring Dave’s pleased laughter. There was no box shape, he knew that already. He pulled out a kleenex, his set of keys, some lint. He dropped it all on the coffee table and ignored Dave’s burst of laughter. 

It wasn’t in his pants pockets. Not the front or the back. His shirt didn’t have a pocket. 

“ _Dave_ ,” Klaus pleaded. “Stop being mean.”

“So impatient,” Dave whispered. “Made yourself colder.”

“Ugh!” Klaus had turned Dave’s pockets inside out and never found anything. He turned to where he’d dumped it all. Kleenex, set of keys, lint. “Did you lose the ring?”

“No, baby. I didn’t,” Dave smiled.

“It’s okay if you did, I forgive you,” Klaus kissed Dave’s nose.

“I didn’t lose it. You’re just being silly,” Dave replied.

Klaus narrowed his eyes before looking back at the pile of stuff. Kleenex, key ring, lint.

Kleenex

Key ring

Lint

Kleenex

Key ring

Lint

Kleenex

Key _ring!_

Gasping loudly, Klaus grabbed the keys and saw a simple but elegant ring attached to the key ring. His hands were shaking as he held it, making it difficult to get it off.

Dave wiped some tears away that Klaus hadn’t realized had been there before steadying Klaus’s hands and helping him get the ring off.

“Klaus, baby, will you marry me?” Dave asked quietly, dropping his keys on the floor but holding _the ring_.

“Yes! _Yes!_ ” Klaus tried to hold his hand steadier so Dave could slip the ring on him. “Oh my god, Dave. I love you, you know that?”

Dave laughed, putting the ring in place, “Of course I do, babydoll. You realizing you love me is how we started dating, you know.”

Klaus tried to stop crying, wrapping his arms around Dave, “I love you _so much._ ”

“I love you just as much,” Dave said, holding him tight. He started swaying them back and forth as Klaus failed at stopping crying and instead cried harder.

“Fuck, I’m sorry Dave!”

“It’s happy tears,” Dave said wetly, “They must be catching.”

Sitting back down, Klaus wrapped the blanket around both of them and used his left hand, the one with _the ring_ to hold Dave’s hand. He wasn’t going to let go anytime soon. When Dave reached up with the hand Klaus was holding to tuck some of Klaus’s hair behind his ear, Klaus’s hand went with. Then he brought the clasped hands up and kissed every knuckle on Klaus’s hand. 

They cuddled that night, never letting go of one another, even when Klaus went to drink his ‘hot’ cocoa and finding it cold and it needed microwaved. If Dave thought Klaus would ever let go of him, he had another thing coming. 

He was going to marry that man, the love of his life.

The only person he’d ever loved more than himself.

**Author's Note:**

> obliquetoptimism @ tumblr


End file.
